1

Ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah

Ownh-ni-mahn!

Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D. (Author)

Descendant of the Nien Dynasty of Krahn Kings of Liberia

Ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah

Ownh-ni-mahn!

When I was a little boy

Of the tender age of five

My parents Both from same royal background

Of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia

Taught me a moral and historical lesson

I will never forget

2

They said:

“Ju-bo-dah-ownh-wloo-ah

Ownh-ni-mahn!”

In other words

“Know your heritage

To prevent you from getting lost!”

For, in this world of immeasurable bounds

There are five billion human beings

From all spheres of the globe

And if you do not know your heritage

You will say you are Chinese

When in reality you are Kissi!

And being something

Or someone you are not

Is not to be trusted

For it sets within you

An everlasting vacuum

That never gets refilled

Because true happiness and success

Come through self-fulfillment

And self-fulfillment can only be attained

When you rediscover yourself

And love yourself for who you are

And not when you hate yourself

Or your brethren!

Yes, self-fulfillment comes

When you eat palm butter

With dried monkey meat

And when your mother

Stacks your bowl

With palm butter and rice

And crowns it with the smoked

And dried monkey head

So you can eat the brain of the monkey

To be clever in school

And to give your classmates “dust”!

To gain more wisdom and strength

To know who you are

And from where you came

In order to know where to go

Or where to hide

During stormy climates

3

Yes,

“Ju-bo-dah-ownh-wloo-ah

Ownh-ni-mahn!”

Maternally, I am the son of

Princess Martha Gbeh-Nyennon-Garh Gaye

She was born circa 1930 in Gleplay Town

Unto the union of Princess Gbeh-Nyennonh

And a renowned Tchien zoe named Gayee-bo-bah

In what was then known

As the Eastern Province of Liberia

But that is now called Grand Gedeh County

My mother died May 14, 2011

She was eighty-one years old

And she lived more than three scores and ten!

Princess Martha Gbeh-Nyennonh-Garh Gaye

Descendant of the Nien Dynasty of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia

My mother was popularly known as Gbeh-Nyennonh-Garh

By the Krahn people of Liberia

She was the daughter of Princess Gbeh-Nynnonh

And Gbeh-Nyennonh who was the daughter

Of the legendary Krahn leader and zoe

4

Prince Wrighyee-Kpodeah

Of the “Zee-eh-moon” Clan

Wrighyee-Kpodeah was brother

Of Gweay-zeon and Kah-lay

Gweay-zeon was the mother of Bellah-Beh

And Kah-lay was the mother of Deh-Suah

Bellah-Beh was John Payee-Beh’s father

And an all time legendary Krahn ruler

And Deh-Suah was a Krahn ruler

Nelson “Gardey” Suah’s father

And the first Representative

Of the Krahn people

In the Liberian Legislature

So you see

The “Zee-eh-moon” people

Are great people

And they are my mother’s fathers and mothers

Because the uncle or aunt

Is father or mother

Of his sister’s or brother’s child!

In the Krahn language we call it:

“Bah-wloo-ah-woo”!

Meaning, “Father that born us”!

So Prince Robert Wrighyee-Zahbay Flahn is my father

And George Ninneh, Gbarwoo, Karwoo, Marvin,

Benedict, and Stanley Flahn are my fathers

Alfred Zulu is my father

And Vera Gaye, Edith Wrighyee

And Dweh-Mama are my mothers

My great-grandfather Prince Wrighyee-Kpodeah

Was the son of Princess Manee-Doo-doo

She was from the “Gene-fleh-bo” Clan

She was the sister of Bah-Sayee

The founder of Bah-Sayee-bli

And so all the “Gene-fleh-bo” people

Are Prince Wrighyee-Kpodeah’s fathers and mothers

So Stanley Bah is my father

And Hillaryson Soe is my father

And Ruth Soe is my mother!

Manee-doo-doo was the daughter

Of Princess Kpaylee

The daughter of King Boduo-Chelley

5

Of the Nien Dynasty of Liberia

A dynasty is when a family produces

Eight successive rulers in a role

As you will observe

from this genealogical account of my ancestors

Also, Princess Kpaylee was the sister

Of King Barduway-Jaylah—

The son of King Boduo-Chelley

King Barduway-Jaylah

Was the last of the Nien kings

To rule the Krahn people

Before the introduction

Of the Western governance structure in Liberia

King Barduway-Jaylah was as well

The grandfather of Prince Robert

Wrighyee-Zarbayh Flahn

And Princess Kowoo Tweh

Hence, King Barduway-Jaylah

Was the son of King Boduo-Chelley

And King Boduo-Chelley

Was son of King Boduo, II

And King Boduo, II

Was son of King Mannah

King Mannah was the son

Of King Gwenyon-Younlon

And King Gwenyon-Younlon

Was the son of King Gwenyon

King Gwenyon succeeded his father, King Gaye

and King Gaye was the son of King Boduo, I

The first Nien monarch

In all, There were eight successive Nien Kings

Before any other ruling Krahn family

Took over the leadership

of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia

6

Prince Jack Tomah Yeleyon Gbaba

(January, 1926-December 26, 2008)

Descendant of King Boduo, I and hier

of Yarlee-Gbahn, Founder of Zwedru City,

Grand Gedeh County, Liberia

Paternally,

My ancestry

Within the Nien Royal Household

Starts from King Boduo, II

He was father of King Boduo-Chelley

My mother’s direct ancestor

And King Boduo was also

The father of Princess Fye,

My father’s ancestor

Hence, King Boduo-Chelley

And Princess Fye were brother and sister

And my parents are descendants

Of these two siblings

From the Nien Royal Household

For in those days

It was common

For members of royal families

To marry each other!

Princess Fye was the mother of Gbolay-Doe-dee

And Gbolay-doe-dee begot five children:

Glorh-woo, Gwah-Kpah-geayee, Dway-yee-yelon,

Gbay-diah and Gwenyon-Younlon,

7

The father of Keh-Gbaba

My grandfather

Keh-Gbaba was the father of four sons:

Doo-doo-Glorh-woo,

Zarlee-Kpoo-du,

Doo-doo,

And Tomoonh Yeleyon

My father

My father was named Tomah at birth

By a famous Gio Chief named Tomah from Nimba County

Also, Keh-Gbaba

Was a great Krahn warrior

Famously known as “Play-ah-gay-lay-yah”!

Meaning, “Running into someone

When you are running away from him”!

Keh-Gbaba was also heir of Yarlee-Gbenh,

Founder of Zwedru

Zwedru is the regional capital city

Of Grand Gedeh County

The main home of the Krahn ethnic group of Liberia

However, Krahns are also found

In the northeastern region of Nimba County

And also in Sinoe County,

And within the Krahn-Bassa forest region

Between Grand Gedeh and Grand Bassa Counties

Of course you know by now

I am the proud father of five

And grandfather of three:

Prince Julian

Princess Jolynn Dehkontee

Prince Jacques Toomah Yeleyon

Prince Joe, Jr.

And Prince Jose Flora

Jacques begot Jaeden and Journee Lynn

And Prince Julian begot McKenzy

And so you see my friends

It pays to know thyself

So that you may be self-fulfilled

And that is why my parents said:

8

“Ju-bo-dah-own-wloo-ah

Ownh-ni-mahn!”

“Know your heritage

So that you may not get lost!”

Rabbi Prince Joseph Tomoonh-Garlodeyh Gbaba, Sr., Ed. D.

March 7, 2012